Continuous production of microalgae using a scouring film reactor

A new system for the continuous production of microalgae is described and data from a series of trial runs are presented. This system, termed the Scouring Film Reactor (SFR) is simple and inexpensive to construct and is operated by compressed air alone. This device utilizes a continuously scouring film of glass particles to prevent wall growth and algal settling. Tests of continuous algae production were conducted with a 40 litre SFR and a non-scoured reactor of similar size, using the marine alga Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Over a five-week period, production of algae from the SFR was reliable and required no maintenance. Production from the non-scoured reactor was subject to crashes and required a high degree of maintenance.